Whumptober 2019 - 14 - Tear-Stained
by DinerGuy
Summary: 2018 reboot. He had immediately noted the needle marks in her right arm when he'd draped his jacket over her, but what really hit him were the tear stains that tracked down her dirty cheeks. He didn't want to think about what they meant. And then her whispered sob came that Rick was dead... He couldn't believe it... It must have been the drugs. It had to be the drugs.


_A/N: Okay, first off, _**TRIGGER WARNING: ****Suggestion of planned sexual assault that doesn't get far or actually happen.**_ It does not, does not, __DOES NOT__ actually happen, but the content is there to a certain degree (although I did try to keep it as... vague and simply suggestive as possible). I really don't want to upset anybody who might read this, so giving you all the heads-up now._

_Basically, my bad guy in this one is all kinds of creepy, and I don't know how he got into my head._

_And yes, you read the word count number correctly because this fill basically knocked me over the head and ran away with itself. I think I wrote it in, like, three or four days? Yeah. It's crazy, I'm crazy, I don't know how I did it, that is all._

_Thank you to frankiemcstein for all of the help with this one and for being my support whenever I needed to complain about the bad guy._

* * *

When they found Higgins, she was barely conscious, but she was alive.

Magnum and T.C. raced to grab her, to support her weight, calling her name even as their chests and stomachs clenched at the situation.

Her head was drooping forward, and it was obvious the ropes binding her wrists behind the wooden seat were the only things keeping her upright. Ropes snaked around her ankles, holding each to a leg of the chair.

Magnum gingerly put his hands against her shoulders, trying to brace her up at the same time as he tried to determine where her injuries were to avoid hurting her more. There was blood staining the light purple fabric of her blouse, but it was hard to tell where it was coming from.

Her closed eyes flickered, moving underneath her eyelids as she flinched at Magnum's touch. Even still, she seemed dazed and didn't respond as the three men called her name. Behind her, T.C. moved to cut through her bonds, then they carefully shifted her limp form to lower her to the ground. When T.C. put a hand behind her head to steady her, the small whimper that escaped her wasn't lost on any of them.

Swallowing, T.C. continued supporting her until they had her lying on the carpet, and he and Magnum immediately began trying to figure out where she was hurt.

She was shivering, her skin pale and lips bluish; it was obvious her sleeveless top and linen shorts were offering scant protection from the chill and shock. No one said a word as Katsumoto quickly whipped off his blazer to tuck over her as a makeshift blanket.

The detective looked between Magnum and T.C. who were hovering, worry etched into their faces. "Go!" he instructed. "I've got her; go find Rick."

They hesitated just a moment longer, then drew their weapons and rushed for the far doorway.

Katsumoto turned his attention back to the woman lying limply in front of him. "Higgins, can you hear me?" He knew his tone was clipped as he gently brushed aside several strands of blonde hair that had fallen across her eyes when they'd moved her.

The blood and dirt smudged on her face amidst the bruises made his stomach clench in anger. He hated this part of the job, seeing what people were capable of doing to each other. He had immediately noted the needle marks in her right arm when he'd draped his jacket over her, but what really hit him were the tear stains that tracked down her dirty cheeks. He didn't want to think about what they meant.

"Juliet, it's Detective Katsumoto. Come on; open your eyes for me."

She shifted slightly, pulling away from his touch as he put a hand on her cheek. Her eyes remained closed, but Katsumoto could see the fresh tears starting to leak under her eyelids.

"Hey, hey, Higgins. You're okay; you're safe," he said gently. He quickly looked her over, trying to see if he could do anything to help, if there was maybe some major injury they had missed. "Talk to me. What hurts?" He didn't know the woman as well as the others did, but he knew she was tough. Something had to be really wrong.

Her reply was barely a whisper, and he didn't catch it at first. Then she shook her head, sending the tears on her cheeks skittering in various directions. "Rick…" she whispered.

"Magnum and T.C. are looking for him now. It's going to be okay." Katsumoto glanced toward the door. He just had to keep her talking a little longer until the paramedics arrived. "We got you, all right? And we're going to find Rick; don't worry."

"Rick…" She trailed off again as her voice cracked. "They…" She sobbed, a choking sound that got stuck in her throat and set her coughing even as agonizing pain etched her face.

Katsumoto put a hand on Higgins' shoulder. "Shh, it's okay. Just breathe," he coaxed.

But she shook her head, even as her eyes blinked open to faintly catch his gaze. "He's… he's dead," she gasped out. "And it's… it's my fault."

The words hit him like a punch to the gut. Katsumoto swallowed as he thought of what Magnum and T.C. may have found already. Even as he tried to calm Higgins down, to keep her from getting too excited, he found himself hoping she was somehow wrong. They couldn't be too late.

* * *

_Six hours earlier..._

It was a beautiful morning, and Higgins was just returning to the estate from running a few errands. Her windows were down, taking advantage of the warm breeze in the air.

She wasn't expecting any visitors, but that didn't mean much with the way Magnum's clients were constantly dropping by. So the car parked in front of the gate didn't give her much pause. Knowing Magnum, he'd just missed the call or couldn't figure out how to buzz in whoever this was.

Higgins checked her own phone, puzzled when no recent calls showed up on the security system. That meant this visitor had either just arrived or was waiting for someone. Not out of the question, but it was puzzling.

She waited for a few moments, planning to just let the guest ring the gate to be let in, but nothing happened. She sighed and was about to walk over to see what all the fuss was about when the vehicle's door swung open. Ah, so maybe whoever this was just needed some help. She'd seen people have trouble with the gate before, even though it was simple enough. She could manage that.

The man approached her door as Higgins' practiced eye quickly took him in, noting his stocky build, dark hair, tan skin. No one she'd met before, but that didn't really matter.

"Did you need some help?" she called, smiling politely at the visitor.

"Yeah, I, uh, can't seem to get anyone to answer," he replied. "I keep pressing the button, but no luck."

Tilting her head, Higgins glanced toward the intercom. "Are you sure you pushed the right one?"

"You wanna come try?" He gestured.

Not that she couldn't get in, but this guy was setting all of her carefully honed skills on edge. Something about him just didn't sit right, and she was not about to open the gate to let him follow her in without more info. "I'm sorry. Who are you here to visit?"

"Uh, Thomas Magnum," the man supplied. "He does live here, right?"

Higgins made a mental note to mention her gut feeling to him. Magnum _had _had shady visitors before, but she had also been in the spy game long enough to trust her instincts.

"Let me just give him a quick ring to make sure he's home," she offered.

As she pulled out her mobile, she heard tyres crunching on the drive. She glanced in her rearview mirror to see an SUV pulling in behind her. Higgins sighed and turned back to the car's driver who'd come closer to her door while she'd been distracted.

"Uh, well, you see," the guy began, and Higgins got the nagging feeling he was stalling. "You don't have to do that. He said he'd meet me here—"

And then there was a cold-sounding _click_ from the passenger side of her Rover.

Higgins froze. She immediately knew what the sound was, and a quick glance to her right confirmed it. There was a second man outside of her car now, with a gun pointed directly at her. And, just past him, a third vehicle—another dark SUV—turned in to the driveway.

"Get out of the car," the first man demanded, and Higgins turned back to see he'd drawn a pistol of his own.

She quickly debated her options. The thought of stomping on the accelerator and speeding past the men entered her mind, but then she quickly dismissed it. Between the three other vehicles, she was trapped, and she had a feeling there were more guns she couldn't see aimed at her. Even if she managed to draw her own weapon from the glove box, she wouldn't get very far before one of the men took her out.

"Out of the car. Now!" the first man snapped. "Not gonna tell you again!"

Higgins took a deep breath, then put her hands up and nodded. "Okay, okay," she said, trying to seem compliant even as her mind spun through a dozen possible scenarios for escaping.

The man by her door stepped back as she opened it and climbed out. He was purposefully staying far enough away from her so she couldn't easily rush him, she noted. Smart.

"Good," he said as her feet hit the pavement. "Now, step away from the car, kneel down, and put your hands on your head."

She really wasn't keen on obeying that particular order—this whole situation had the potential to go very bad very fast—but she also didn't have many other options, so she slowly did as she'd been told. She hadn't been shot on sight, so it seemed like these men needed something from her, which meant this was a kidnapping and not an execution. Meaning she'd have a shot at getting away when one of these goons stepped over to restrain her…

Interestingly enough, it was the guy in front of her, the one who'd been doing the talking, who pulled out a black zip tie and tucked his gun in his waistband. That certainly made her job easier. There were vehicles between Higgins and the other men, which meant, if she moved fast enough, she might be able to take this idiot's gun and then dart off into the trees. It wouldn't be the best-case scenario, but it was much more promising than just letting whatever was about to take place occur.

When he reached for her right wrist, she moved. Springing up, she grabbed his hand instead, rolling her weight forward and using it to throw him off balance. He tripped over the leg she stuck out, crashing to the ground, and she immediately slammed a fist into his face. He groaned and slumped back, and she scrambled for the pistol in his belt.

And then she heard footsteps and someone grabbed her shoulders and yanked her off of the fallen man. She spun as she fell, using her momentum to her advantage, and came up with an uppercut to the man's jaw as he leaned down toward her.

It sent him reeling back enough that she could hurriedly climb to her feet and settle herself into a fighting stance. Then the goon was rushing her, and Higgins tracked with him until he was almost on top of her. Then she dropped to the side, crouching to avoid his leg before leaping back up and driving an elbow into the small of his back.

He fell to the pavement, but she didn't have time to focus on when he might get to his feet because a third guy was on her in the next second. She hadn't had a chance to count how many men were in the three vehicles that had boxed her in, but she knew there were more than she could handle, so she needed to figure out how to make an exit—and fast.

She curled her fingers in, flattened her palm, and smashed it into the man's nose. He yelled in pain and dropped her arm, and she wriggled away from him and started for the woods. No time to snatch the gun now. But she barely got three steps before someone tripped her. She landed hard but rolled to her back, arms flying upward to counter the blow coming toward her.

A foot came under her hands and impacted with her side, driving the air from her lungs with a pained cry, and she struggled to see past the fog clouding her vision. She knew she couldn't let herself give in, couldn't just give up. These guys wanted something, but she knew she didn't want to find out what the hard way.

She was being hauled to her feet in the next moment, firm hands grasping her arms, and she fought against them. Higgins managed to jerk her right arm from the man's grasp, and she spun to throw her weight downward against the man holding her left. She almost succeeded, but then the other pair of hands were back, and she let out a growl as she twisted against the renewed grip.

Fingers dug into her biceps, and someone's fist landed a solid blow to her cheek, sending her reeling toward unconsciousness once again.

In the next second, there was a familiar shout from somewhere off to her right, and she blinked hard to try to focus her gaze. Was that…

"Higgins!" the shout came again, and she knew it that time. It was Rick, but what was he doing there?

Sounds of a scuffle reached her ears, and her vision cleared enough to make out Rick fully engaged with two goons, another lying unmoving nearby. He was holding his own well, at least for the moment; the men didn't seem to have expected resistance from anyone but their target.

Higgins took a breath and then stomped down on the foot of the man to her left, the one who'd been the decoy at the gate when she'd driven up. She made sure to grind her heel in, and he let out a yell and his grasp loosened ever so slightly. It was just the opening Higgins needed. She yanked her arm out of his hands, then spun and lifted her left leg into a roundhouse kick even as she pulled at her right arm.

Her foot landed exactly where she'd aimed, right between the legs, and the man practically yowled in pain and let go of her. Higgins fell to the ground but rolled and recovered, coming up at the ready just as the guy whose foot she'd stepped on rushed her.

As far as she could tell, there were five men taking part in the kidnapping operation. If she could take care of her opponent, then she could move to help Rick, and they had a shot at taking these goons down.

Higgins ducked aside to avoid the man's swing, but he was anticipating it. When she countered, he was ready, and he grabbed her wrist. She tried to tuck and roll again, but he threw his weight in the opposite direction. Then, before she could make another move, he yanked on her arm and sent her stumbling.

She could feel his hand on the back of her neck, and she threw an elbow toward where she estimated his chest to be. She made contact and noted with satisfaction when she heard him grunt, but his grip didn't loosen like she'd expected. Instead, his knee came up to connect with her stomach, and she gasped as the air fled her lungs.

The man shoved her forward, and she crashed to the ground, her hands barely coming out in time. She tried to push to her feet, even while she was still trying to catch her breath, but the man was on her again. A blow to the side of her head flipped her over onto her side. She blinked against the way her world was spinning, knowing she had to get up, but another blow sent her onto her back. Something dripped down her face from her brow.

She vaguely thought she heard Rick yelling her name, but then the man looming above her flipped her over onto her stomach and her head flared. She could feel her arms being yanked behind her back, and she tried to struggle, but the knee pressing into her back between her shoulder blades kept her from succeeding.

Plastic tightened around her wrists with a quick _zippp _sound, and then she was once again hauled upright. The world spun even faster now, fading in and out even as she tried to concentrate. She could still hear the sounds of fighting from somewhere nearby, but she just couldn't make herself _focus._ She tried to jerk her arm away from the man holding her, but his grip just tightened, and he gave her a harsh shake that sent her stomach reeling.

The dark shape of an SUV loomed in front of her, and she saw the open door just before she was thrown into the back seat.

_"Jules!" _Rick sounded so far away.

The prick in her arm made her jump, and she heard someone mutter something beside her. But then she was fading, and the sound of the door slamming beside her was the last thing she heard before everything faded away.

* * *

"What are we gonna do with him?"

The voice drifted past the edges of his consciousness as Rick slowly started to come back to his senses. Wherever he was, it was dark… or maybe that was because his eyes were closed. Yeah, that was probably it.

He shifted and then frowned when his body didn't seem to want to move. He tried to open his eyes to see what was holding him back, but they didn't cooperate either. Well, this was inconvenient. He took a deep breath and tried to relax. Just concentrate, wait a minute, try again… He just had to wait, gather a little more strength, and then he could see what was happening.

"I told you to just shoot him at the estate," a different voice from before growled. "But you insisted we bring him along."

"They obviously know each other!" the first voice shot back. "You know why the boss wants her. Trust me; he'll be glad we brought this guy too."

Well, Rick definitely didn't like the sound of that.

Footsteps faded away, and Rick stayed quiet, but it seemed like the other men had left the room. That was good. He could use that.

He tried to blink his eyes open again, and, this time, he succeeded. Everything was really blurry, but it was at least progress compared to before. As he tried to bring the world back into view, he concentrated on breathing slowly and steadily.

He was currently lying on the floor of what looked like an old living room. The paint was peeling on the walls, the carpet under him smelled musty and old, and the only furniture in the room consisted of two sturdy but old-looking wooden chairs. He seemed to have been dumped in the corner, and, when he tried to shift again, he realized his hands were tied behind his back. That explained why they wouldn't behave earlier.

A tentative twist of his wrists told him these guys had exchanged the zip ties from the initial abduction for ropes, which was definitely not great; if the plastic restraints were still there, Rick could have used the right leverage to snap the plastic, but now he'd need another option to get out of this place. Of course… he might need to wait until the room stopped swimming every time he moved.

When he slowly turned his head to take in more of the room, he froze at the sight of Higgins lying next to him. Her eyes were closed, and a quick glance downward told him her hands were tied behind her just like his. She was breathing shallowly but evenly, and he realized she was still unconscious. Rick's heart clenched as he took in the bruising and blood smeared along her face. He'd put up a valiant effort, but it hadn't been enough.

He didn't even know what was going on. One minute, he'd been driving to Robin's Nest, his phone on speaker as he chatted with Thomas and T.C. about what pizza toppings they wanted to order for the ball game that afternoon. Then he'd pulled into the driveway and come upon Higgins in a desperate struggle against five idiots who looked to be more muscle than brain.

Rick had yelled at the phone, giving his friends as much information about what was happening at the front gate as he could in the span of a few seconds, then he'd shoved his door open and leaped into the fray. The worst part was Thomas was out with T.C., meaning no one could come to their aid.

His gun had been knocked from his grasp but he'd managed to take down one of the guys anyway. He'd been doing pretty well holding his own, trying to fight his way to help Jules against her opponents, but then he'd seen a big guy get the better of her and start dragging her toward one of the waiting SUVs. Rick had fought harder, struggled more, but it hadn't been enough.

As soon as Higgins had been deposited into the vehicle, the man who'd been busy with her had come over and joined his buddies, and Rick hadn't been able to hold out much longer. Then someone had stabbed a needle in his arm, and that had been that.

Until now, when he'd woken on the floor. He wasn't sure what their captors wanted, but, from the sounds of it, it wasn't good. They'd mentioned wanting Higgins, and it sounded like they planned on using Rick against her. He swallowed. He could only hope his phone call with T.C. and Thomas had been enough. If they were looking for him and Higgins, everything would be okay. Rick just had to make sure they stayed alive until their friends found them. He'd had… some experience with being held. He could do this—he _would _do this—and he would help Jules get through it. They would make it.

"Higgins," he whispered as loudly as he dared, trying to shift over to nudge her arm. They were just a little too far apart, and his head really didn't like it when he moved, so he settled for calling her name again. "Hey, Jules."

She twitched, her nose wiggling, but her eyes remained closed.

"Higgy."

"Mm?" she mumbled, and Rick allowed himself a moment of relief. Okay, she was starting to wake up. This was good.

"Come on. You gotta wake up for me."

When she did open her eyes, Rick could see the way they were glazed over. That wasn't so good. He knew he'd been drugged; apparently, so had she. And it seemed her smaller frame wasn't processing it as quickly as his.

"Hey, Higgins, it's Rick," he tried. "Do you remember what happened?"

She tilted her head, the faraway look still fixed on her face. "Rick?" she asked slowly, blinking at him. "What… what are you doing here?"

"I wish I knew," he chuckled, then coughed. "What do you say we get out of here, hm?"

Nodding slowly, she flicked her gaze away and then looked back to him. "…'kay." She licked her lips and nodded again.

Rick took a deep breath in preparation to push to his feet but was interrupted by what was probably the most unwelcome sound at that particular moment in time.

Footsteps could be heard from somewhere nearby, then the forms of several men appeared in the doorway on the far side of the room.

"Well, looks like our guests are awake," the taller one sneered as they moved toward the prisoners.

Rick tried to size the men up as they approached, but he didn't get past noticing there were three of them who all looked very well-built before there were hands on him. Something poked his arm, and he felt the weird sensation of liquid entering his veins. Then the hands moved away. Rick heard Higgins groan beside him, and he tried to look over at her, but his head was suddenly so heavy…

Then there were more hands, and he wanted to fight, to throw himself at the men—but he couldn't even lift his head. And then he was being hauled to his feet, and he desperately wanted to keep his eyes open but just _couldn't._ They slid closed even as he felt himself being dragged across the room, feeling through his jeans as his knees rubbed against the carpet.

He felt himself being forced into a chair, but then whatever drug they had given him won out over his attempts to fight against it, and his head fell forward to rest against his chest as he slipped into unconsciousness.

* * *

Magnum clenched his fists and stared at the screen in front of him as if he could bore a hole through it with his eyes. The footage of the fight at the front gate of Robin's Nest started over for the third time, but he just clenched his jaw and watched it play out.

Watched Higgins forced out of her vehicle at gunpoint, sinking to her knees, jumping the gunman when he was close enough, putting up a desperate struggle that nearly succeeded. Watched Rick pull up in the middle of the chaos and throw himself right into the fight. Watched both Higgins and Rick do their best but each be overpowered, one and then the other. Watched as they were dragged away to waiting vehicles. Watched the attackers jump in after them and then drive off until all that was left at the gate were Rick and Higgy's cars and no sign of life.

Knowing he hadn't been there to help caused a tight feeling to gather in his chest. He hadn't been in the guest house, where he could have rushed to the front gate and helped and probably kept his friends from being taken. For that matter, he could have let Zeus and Apollo loose on the guys attacking Rick and Higgy; for as much as the Dobermans seemed to hate him, they would have hated anyone hurting Higgy more. But instead, he'd had to listen as Rick had broken off their conversation about pizza to yell about guys attacking Higgins in front of the estate and then the phone had gone silent.

"Magnum."

The voice made him jump, and he shook his head as he recovered and glanced up.

Katsumoto raised an eyebrow at him, and Magnum knew, if he looked to his other side, T.C. would be wearing a similar expression to his own.

The three men were huddled around the laptop in Higgins' office. When their conference call with Rick had ended so abruptly, T.C. had immediately dialed Katsumoto as Magnum had spun the wheel and raced to Robin's Nest. They hadn't arrived until it was too late, and Magnum had rushed for the house to tap into the security footage he knew would be accessible on Higgins' computer.

"I don't recognize any of them," Magnum replied, rubbing the back of his neck.

Katsumoto nodded. "I might be able to help with that." He glanced back to the computer screen. "I actually know one of these guys, the one who was waiting for Higgins when she pulled up. His name's Kai Mitani; I've arrested him several times on various charges over the years. I know the crew he runs with."

"Then let's go get him," T.C. said, voice rough and low with anger.

They were on the road in minutes, passing the crime scene unit processing the cars at the gate. In the Ferrari, Magnum and T.C. followed Katsumoto's sedan as they sped toward their destination.

The club where Erik Barrera held his business was on an out-of-the-way street in the outskirts of Honolulu. There were no cars on the street, no pedestrians on the sidewalk, as the three men parked and hurried toward the building.

Katsumoto paused with his hand on the door handle. "Let me do all the talking," he told Magnum and T.C. with a stern look between them. "I've dealt with this guy before."

The two other men nodded, but a little voice in the back of his head reminded Katsumoto of how well Thomas Magnum tended to obey orders. But they didn't have time; there had been no ransom demands at the estate so far, and Katsumoto wasn't holding his breath. If he had to go with his gut feeling, he'd say this was related to another dangerous case Magnum had gotten himself tangled up in—again—or there was even the possibility it had something to do with something in the history Magnum, T.C., and Rick had from their time in the military. Plus, after the fiasco with The Viper previously, Katsumoto knew Higgins had been an MI6 agent for years.

But, whatever the reason, it didn't quite matter at the moment. They needed to find Rick and Higgins, and they didn't have any time to waste. The more time that passed since the abductions at Robin's Nest, the bigger the criminals' head-start got, and Katsumoto knew they couldn't afford to let it widen any more.

With T.C. and Magnum on his heels, Katsumoto swung the door open and headed inside. Barrera was sitting at the same booth in the corner where he had been the last time Katsumoto had run across the man during a case, and the criminal smiled when he recognized the detective. It wasn't exactly a warm greeting, more skirting the line of a cold respectfulness.

"Well, well, well. Detective, what brings you to my little hole in the wall?" Barrera asked, raising an eyebrow as he took a sip of his drink.

"Looking for a friend of yours," Katsumoto replied, stopping just past the table. He crossed his arms as he evaluated the older man's expression. "Kai Mitani."

Barrera just made an expression that equated to a shrug. "What did he do to get on your bad side now?"

"He's involved with the kidnapping of two people earlier today, and I need to find him."

Silently, Barrera pointedly took another drink before setting it down and settling back in his seat. His eyes flicked from the detective to the two men standing behind Katsumoto, then back. "What makes you think I know where Mitani is?"

When Magnum pushed past Katsumoto to slam his hands on the tabletop, Katsumoto couldn't say he was surprised by anything other than the fact that it had taken so long for the other man to jump in.

"We don't have time for games!" Magnum yelled, and there was a strange urgency to his words that had even Katsumoto wondering just what the P.I. was capable of. "Where is Mitani? And don't you even think of lying to us"—he lowered his voice to a frighteningly even tone—"because I _guarantee _you I can and will make your life a living hell if you're the reason we lose this guy."

As Barrera glanced up from Magnum, then past Katsumoto at T.C., the detective resisted the urge to turn and look as well. But something told him the bigger man would have his arms crossed and be glaring daggers at Barrera to underscore Magnum's words.

"These guys with you, detective?" Barrera asked, looking back to Katsumoto. The man seemed to be very pointedly not looking at Magnum, who was still standing threateningly in front of him, and the expression on Barrera's face _almost _made Katsumoto want to smirk. Clearly the guy was unnerved—which, while not for the best of reasons, wasn't exactly unwelcome.

"Just answer the question," Kastsumoto snapped.

Barrera sighed and nodded, seeming to relax as Magnum took a step back. "He doesn't work for me anymore, so I can't tell you where he is right this minute. But," he added when Magnum clenched his fists and stepped forward again, "I can tell you the crew he runs with right now do all sorts of jobs around the island; someone might've been askin' around about a snatch-an'-grab operation, which would be right up their alley. I heard the guy who hired them is using some place in the old Oceanview neighborhood. You know it?"

"But that area got bought up by a big developer last year," T.C.'s voice came from behind Katsumoto, stating what all of them were thinking.

Magnum whirled around. "And it's been tied up in negotiations for demolition ever since," he said quickly. "That's gotta be where they're keeping Rick and Higgins."

"You better have told us the truth, Barrera." Katsumoto gave the man a final warning look.

He raised his hands. "I got nothin' to hide. I swear."

In response, Katsumoto wordlessly turned to follow after Magnum and T.C., who were already pushing through the front door.

* * *

There was a strange buzzing in his ears as Rick slowly woke. At first, he wanted nothing more than to ignore it and go back to sleep. Maybe that would help with his pounding headache. But then he remembered where he was and what had happened, and his eyes flew open as he tried to sit up with a jerk.

He didn't get very far; the ropes coiled around his wrists were now tied to the back of the chair to hold him in place. Risking a glance to either side, Rick's stomach sank as he saw Higgins was being held in a similar fashion next to him. Before he could lift his head to evaluate the rest of their situation, a voice came from somewhere across the room.

"Welcome back."

Rick looked up—a little too quickly, his head complained—and saw a tall, slim figure stepping into the room. The man was bald, with a thin gray beard and a look on his face that made Rick dread what might be coming next for him and Higgins.

Rick already hated the guy.

Next to him, he heard Higgins trying to shift, then the man stepped toward the two chairs. He moved sideways so he was in front of Higgins, and his voice was cold the next time he spoke. "Nice to see you again, _Agent."_

What? Rick felt his brow furrow. This guy knew about Jules's past? Something nagged at him, just past the fog that still hung in his mind from the affect of the drugs.

Higgins' small gasp was enough to tell Rick she knew exactly who this guy was.

"Bet you're wondering how I found you."

All of the thoughts rushing through Rick's head came down to one thing: this man was bad news. He seemed to have it out for Jules—probably because of some mission she'd run years ago—and there was little doubt in Rick's mind the guy was out for revenge. And Rick really didn't like that thought.

The man chuckled. "It doesn't really matter, hm? I've got you now." He strolled closer to their chairs, and Rick tracked the man's steps with a cold feeling growing in the pit of his stomach. "You know, I've thought about you for years, about what you did to me, what you _took_ from me. And now, I finally have a way to make you pay for what you did."

Rick saw as the guy reached out toward Higgins, and he pulled against his bonds as if he could somehow burst free and tackle their captor. "Don't touch her!" Rick snapped. He didn't know what the man had planned, but he wasn't going to just sit by and let it happen. Maybe he could get the focus on _him _and keep it off of Jules, at least until they were found. It was a desperate attempt, but it was all he had.

The man's eyebrow lifted in an expression of cold humor. "So I see my men were right in bringing your boyfriend along," he remarked, turning back toward Higgins.

She didn't respond, just stared straight ahead.

"You remember me, I can tell. Simon Morley?" the man asked with a cold smile. "I was almost afraid I'd have been filed to the back of your mind among all your other missions, but I see you know exactly who I am. Which is good, Agent Higgins; you know, I've spent a long time thinking about this day," Morley continued, although Rick breathed a sigh of relief when the man stepped away from Jules. "I never expected it to happen, but now here we both are.

"However, I never imagined someone so special to you coming along for the ride. It just makes everything that much better, though, don't you think? Someone to join in on the fun?" When neither prisoner replied, he shook his head. "You can't imagine what pain and trouble you put me through all those years ago. But now, I get to return the favor."

And, without warning, he turned and slammed a fist into Rick's stomach. Unprepared for the blow and unable to defend himself, Rick hunched over, coughing and gasping. Another punch followed the first, and Rick couldn't breathe with the way all the air was driven from his lungs

"See, now, before we get to the real fun, I can make you suffer by making you watch me hurt the man you love," Morley continued, although his voice now sounded distant to Rick.

"He's not my boyfriend; just a guy who was in the wrong place at the wrong time," Higgins shot back, her voice blank, and Rick glanced over to see her lifting her chin in defiance. "Let him go. You wanted me, and now you have me."

Morley tsked as he shook his head. "No… No, I don't think so. He cares too much for you—and you clearly care for him. I can see it in your eyes." He winked. "You can drop the pretense. It's only going to make things worse."

The next blow sent Rick's head snapping to the side, and he heard himself grunt in pain at the impact. But it was okay, he told himself, even as the flurry of blows rained down on him. The longer this man focused on him, the longer he stayed away from Higgins.

* * *

Higgins twisted her wrists, trying to find some slack in the ropes biting into her skin. She swallowed past the way her stomach was roiling and tried to focus past the way her head was so heavy she wasn't sure she'd be able to stay awake much longer. Morley's goons had given her some sort of drug, and, while she wasn't sure what it was, it was certainly doing its job. There was a dim haze to everything, and her vision swam every time she tried to move.

Then there were the yells of pain she could hear from Rick… Rick. He shouldn't even be there. Morley's argument was with her, not with her friends, but of course Rick had jumped in the moment he'd seen her in trouble. She would have done the same for him, for any of the others, but she hated that he'd done it for her and ended up in this situation. And now he was purposefully trying to keep Morley's attention on himself, and she felt the guilt gnawing at her chest.

She tried to look over, wanted to say something to drag Morley's attention back to her, but it was like her words were sticking in her throat. She knew it had to be the drugs hitting her hard, and she struggled to reach past them, to grab onto the terrible reality so she could try to help Rick… but she couldn't. She could barely fight against the way she was being pulled back under, and she risked closing her eyes for just a second…

A hand roughly patting her face drew her eyes open, and she blinked at the way her cheek stung. Morley's shadowy form was standing in front of her, and Higgins shook her head in an attempt to clear it. She knew she had to stay focused, had to find a way out, but her brain was so muddled. Again, she twisted her hands, but the ropes refused to give.

"Am I boring you?" Morley chided, lifting an eyebrow almost teasingly. "I didn't plan all this just to have you fall asleep on me."

Higgins swallowed and, this time, was able to get the words out past the lump in her throat. "Why… why wait until… now?" she asked. She was honestly just stalling, but, if she could keep the guy away from Rick, then it didn't matter how.

"You know," Morley replied, "I thought about this day for a long time—ever since that day I discovered you were MI6 and to blame for ruining my life—but I never once expected I'd ever see you again. So imagine my surprise when I found you here in Hawaii! After that, it was just a matter of hiring some muscle, and here we are." He grinned as if proud of himself.

Well, that certainly explained some things. Higgins took a deep breath, searching for another question to ask, when the man continued.

"And, even better, my men brought me you _and _your boyfriend, so I can really make you pay for what you did to me."

Beside Higgins, Rick growled. She tried shifting her head to look at him, but everything started to spin again, so she just clenched her jaw and stared straight ahead at Morley.

The criminal's eyes darted over to Rick, then back to Higgins with a smile. "What do you say we get started on the real fun, hm?"

Higgins glared at him, trying to convey with her gaze just how much hatred she had for the man in front of her.

He lifted an eyebrow and leaned forward to put a hand on the back of her chair. "You'll soften up soon enough, don't worry," he told her.

Beside her, she heard Rick struggling. She clenched her jaw, and, as soon as Morley was close enough, she rared up and slammed her head as hard as she could into his face.

Her movements weren't as quick as she'd have liked, and she caught him in the chin rather than the nose where she was aiming, but she noted the _crack _of the connection with satisfaction all the same—even as it sent darkness spiraling across her line of sight.

Morley snarled at her and pulled his hand back before bringing it across her cheek in a _slap _that left her ears ringing. She felt like she might vomit, so she just focused on breathing through her nose, trying to harden her expression. She couldn't let Morley see her wavering, especially not so soon.

Next to her, she heard Rick growling a threat, then her stomach rolled, twisting over itself as Morley grabbed her chin and forced her head over to look in Rick's direction. She felt like she might be sick at the way the room tilted crazily.

And then Morley released her just before stepping over to Rick and smashing a fist into his side yet again.

The way Rick clenched his jaw and looked absolutely resolved not to let on how much it actually hurt, even as he hunched over as far as the ropes would let him, tore at Higgins' heart.

She yanked at her wrists yet again. "Let him alone!" she heard herself saying past the clenching in her throat, but Morley just smirked and threw another punch.

* * *

Rick sagged against the ropes binding him as his chest heaved. He was so close to blacking out, but he willed himself to keep his eyes open. He couldn't pass out, couldn't leave Jules to the mercy of whatever Morley had planned. Rick could—and would gladly—take whatever the man dished out so long as it meant Morley didn't hurt her.

Honestly, Rick wasn't sure he could take it if he had to sit there and watch someone lay into Higgins the same way Morley had just done to him. She was strong; he knew that, but he also knew there was no way he was letting anyone hurt her. It was just like when he and the other guys had been held prisoner in Afghanistan; they'd banded together, trying to keep each other safe and alive, and this was no different.

He swallowed and forced the fog to the back of his mind. Whatever was coming, he had to stay awake.

Meanwhile, Morley had now moved away from Rick and was standing in front of Higgins again. He rubbed at his hand absently as he watched her, then he stepped forward and leaned down to look her in the eye. "You took everything from me." He lowered his voice so it was practically a low purr and lightly traced a finger along her cheek. "So now I'm going to take _everything _from you."

Higgins shuddered and jerked her head, trying to move away from his hand, but he just laughed and followed her movements.

The threat made Rick sick to his stomach, helping to clear his head even more. He clenched his hands, yanking at the bonds that held him to his chair—held him back from giving this slimy excuse for a man what he deserved—as he watched Morley's eyes flick over Jules. "Get your hands off her!" he growled.

In response, Morley just laughed and glanced at Rick before turning back to tuck a stray strand of hair behind Higgins' ear. "I'm going to make sure you know exactly how it feels to be as powerless as you left me all those years ago." And then he dropped both hands to the back of her chair, his arms keeping her from pulling away as he leaned forward so his cheek was right up against hers to murmur something in her ear.

Rick couldn't hear the man's words, but he could see how Jules blanched at Morley's whispers, and fury burned in his chest. Between her paleness and the expression that had spread itself across Morley's face, Rick wanted nothing more than to bust through the ropes and strangle their captor with the remnants.

Then, Morley slowly pushed back away from Higgins and gave her another smile. "But what kind of a guy would I be if I didn't show you a good time first?" he asked. He winked, then moved behind the chairs.

Rick craned his neck but couldn't make out what the man was doing, though he didn't have to wait long to find out. Morley stalked back around to stand in front of them, a stun gun now held lightly in his hand. He flicked the switch as his eyes darted to Higgins.

"Your mother must be so proud," Rick spat out. He was trying to draw the man's attention to himself, desperate to get him away from Jules. There was absolutely no way Rick was letting this animal lay a finger on her. "Look at you. How many years has it been since you say Higgins ruined your life, and this is all you have to show for it?"

Morley's face darkened, and he spun on his heel to stalk toward Rick's chair.

Rick swallowed but met the other man's gaze. "You seem to be quite the failure."

And then Morley lunged forward, and Rick felt fire fill his veins.

Even in the midst of the white-hot agony that arched his back and caused his jaw and fingers to clench tightly of their own accord, Rick felt a grim satisfaction in the back of his mind.

The moment stretched on and on, and then Morley stepped back after what seemed like an eternity, and Rick felt himself sagging against his bonds. He was completely winded, and he felt like he couldn't even regain his breath with the way the electricity had coursed through him. It was like his lungs were frozen.

He barely had a chance to suck in a little air past the aching in his chest before Morley shoved the prongs back into his side, and the fire started all over again.

* * *

Magnum steered the Ferrari into the deserted Oceanview neighborhood. There were signs plastered on the signs at the entrance to the front street declaring the place was private property and to keep out. He just ignored them all and drove right through.

Ahead of him, Katsumoto's vehicle slowed to take a corner, and Magnum drove down the block to take the next street. They'd decided to split up their search; it shouldn't be too hard for them to spot where Mitani and the rest of the crew might be. The place was deserted; any signs of life should stick out like a sore thumb.

There were probably more diplomatic ways to go about finding which of the houses the criminals were using, but none of the three men wanted to waste any time waiting. Red tape would just tie them up for hours, if not longer, and they knew they needed to find their friends sooner rather than later. Although none of them were sure _why_ Higgins had been targeted, they didn't even particularly care right then. All that mattered was finding her and Rick.

When Katsumoto's voice came over the speakerphone that he'd seen movement in a house on the second block he'd started searching, Magnum pressed the accelerator to the floor and raced to join the detective.

T.C. and Magnum leaped out of the Ferrari, guns ready, and hurried to join Katsumoto. When the detective gestured toward the back of the house, they nodded in understanding and raced around to the back door.

The front rooms were quickly cleared, and then a noise from the kitchen caught all of their attention.

Racing that direction, guns out, they swiftly took the corner with Katsumoto yelling, "HPD! Hands where I can see them!"

The disheveled, bearded man sitting at an old wooden table jumped up so fast he knocked his chair over.

"Where are they?" Magnum yelled at the same time as Katsumoto barked, "Who else is here?"

The other man glanced between the two of them and T.C., then swallowed and shrugged his shoulders, keeping his arms extended. "I… it's just me! I swear. I needed a place to stay, and this house isn't bein' used for now. That's all, really."

Magnum sighed and lowered his weapon, his expression a combination of desperation and disappointment.

"How long have you been staying here?" Katsumoto asked.

The squatter tilted his head. "Few days?"

The detective nodded. "Have you seen anyone else coming and going around here?"

"Ya know… other people like me sometimes," the man said slowly. Then his eyes lit up with a thought. "Except there was a nice car—one of those big, fancy SUVs—at this one house near the back of the neighborhood yesterday!" he said. "I only noticed 'cause I was comin' back from the dumpster behind—"

"What house number?" Magnum interrupted.

Seconds later, the three men were rushing across the front lawn and back to their cars.

* * *

Higgins could barely breathe as she watched Rick shivering in the chair next to her. Morley had continued to press the contacts of the stun gun up against the other man, smirking at Higgins the entire time. Then it was over, and Morley was coming back to her with a cold chuckle.

"Well, I think that's about enough of that," he said. "Pity for him he took all of it for you, but I guess they're right that love is blind." He shrugged.

As much as she wanted to call out to Rick, to ask if he was okay, Higgins had a feeling that would only make things worse, so she bit her lip and refused to say a thing. She wasn't sure how she was still awake, if she were being honest. The drugs coursing through her system continued to play havoc with her mind, and she blinked as her vision doubled before condensing back to normal. She'd been trying to ignore it for some time, but she could tell she was slowly losing the battle.

Morley gestured, and two men appeared in the doorway at the opposite end of the room. When they moved toward Rick's chair, Higgins dreaded what might be coming next. One of them leaned over to do something behind Rick, and she felt a brief flash of panic somewhere past the fog of the drugs, then Higgins saw her friend tumble forward, only to be caught by the hands on his upper arms.

"What do you want us to do with him?" one of the men asked gruffly.

"Oh, take care of him," Morley replied dismissively.

Higgins' stomach clenched more at the words, and she struggled to free herself. "No!" she heard herself yelling. As much as she'd resolved to be strong, she also couldn't let them hurt Rick, not after what he'd done for her, and it felt like nothing else mattered at the moment. The combination of the roaring in her head from the drugs and the pain in her arms were tilting her dangerously toward the darkness, but she refused to give in.

In the next second, Rick suddenly dropped his weight, using the element of surprise to wrench himself free from the two men holding him. Even with the ropes still tied around his wrists, he struggled to his feet and then rushed one of the goons, managing to catch the guy in the stomach and drive him back against the wall with a yell of determination.

Chest aching, Higgins could do nothing but watch as, in the next minute, the second goon was on him, and they were both wrestling Rick to the ground. He still put up a fight, pulling against them and growling threats even as one of them drove a right hook into his jaw and sent him falling limply back to the floor.

She wanted to be strong, not to give Morley an ounce of satisfaction, but she could feel the tears threatening her eyes.

"I told you to take care of him," Morley snapped impatiently. "Just do it!"

The men nodded and continued to drag Rick out of the room.

Rick seemed to come to his senses as they were nearing the doorway, and, even through the way her vision was fading, Higgins could see him struggling and hear him hollering at Morley and the two goons.

And then he called her name, catching her attention from where she was just starting to drift off all the way. _"Jules!"_

Her head snapped up toward the sound, even as she heard the pained grunt of what she could only assume was one of the other men cuffing him for his trouble.

"You can do this! You're the strongest person I know!" Rick continued to yell at her even as he struggled against being pulled through the doorway.

As much as she hated the fact, she could feel the tears running down her cheeks as Rick disappeared from her line of sight.

But his voice reached her again. "You'll be okay!"

And then… then, there was an exclamation of pain from Rick and a loud noise just before everything fell silent.

Higgins' heart dropped into her stomach. Even through the roaring in her ears, she'd clearly heard the _bang. _More tears escaped her eyes.

"Looks like your boyfriend won't be any more trouble," Morley commented, turning back to Higgins with a sly smile.

She clenched her fists behind her back and glared at him. Past the way the room was dancing in her vision, past the noise in her ears and the fog in her head, the thought that this man was responsible for Rick's death overtook everything else in her mind.

As soon as Morley was close enough, she gathered a strength she hadn't been able to find before and lifted a leg to lash out at him. She managed to catch him in the thigh with her heel, causing him to stumble backward with an exclamation of pain. When he closed the gap between them again, she attempted to headbutt him like she had before, but he was ready for her that time.

The fist to her cheek caused light to explode across her sight, obscuring Morley and the rest of the room, and she felt herself sagging forward just before everything went black.

* * *

The house to which the squatter had pointed them was situated on a large lot, a little ways back from the road. Not wanting to spook whoever was inside, Magnum and Katsumoto parked around the corner, then the three men checked their weapons and covered the rest of the way on foot.

As they approached, they could see a dark vehicle parked in the driveway. It was almost hidden by overgrown bushes, but it was immediately noticeable to the men who were already on high alert. They all immediately recognized the license plate, and the fact that they'd found at least some of the men responsible for the abductions gave them a small sense of satisfaction. Now, all they had to do was find their friends.

At first, there didn't seem to be anyone around, and the three men had a brief moment of panic they had hit a dead end and would have to start from scratch. The front of the house was completely empty. The entryway was dark and vacant, but then T.C. pointed to the floor. The others had noticed the fresh, dirty footprints right away as well, and they nodded in acknowledgment. Something was definitely going on in the house.

Katsumoto wordlessly took the lead as they advanced toward the opening into the kitchen. They paused, then the detective stepped quickly around the corner and the other two followed. No one was there, but then murmuring drifted through the open door on the other end of the room.

All three pulled up short, tensing as they tried to determine how many men were on the other side of the door. At first, they couldn't make out much beyond the low hum of the voice… which they quickly realized was just someone holding a one-sided conversation. When the words themselves registered with Katsumoto's mind, he felt his blood run cold. He didn't even have to glance at the other two men to know they were wearing twin expressions of rage. Instead, he peeked cautiously around the corner.

What he saw had him clenching his weapon even more tightly in anger. Higgins was slumped in a chair, her head resting on her chest as she sagged against her restraints. A man, tall and balding, was just tying a length of rope around her left ankle and the left front leg of the chair, matching the one pinning her right ankle to the other side.

"There; that's perfect. Now, come on, Agent Higgins; open those eyes for me," came the almost sing-song words. The man stood and lifted a hand to lightly touch Higgins' face, and Katsumoto smothered his growl of rage as he turned back to the men behind him.

Magnum and T.C. looked ready to rip the man apart with their bare hands, but pride danced in their eyes as well with the man's next words.

"I'm sorry I had to hit you so hard, but you just wouldn't stop fighting, and that's no way to behave. We never got to the fun part yet; your boyfriend keep spoiling it," the speaker continued. "And now that I've got you alone"—if possible, he sounded even creepier than before—"I need you awake for us to begin. I've been looking forward to this day for years."

Katsumoto felt a shiver of anger at the undertones coming from the man. Lifting three fingers, he gave the countdown, and then burst through the doorway. He knew the others would follow right behind him.

"HPD!" Katsumoto bellowed, channeling his anger into the command. "Put your hands up now!"

The man standing in front of Higgins—practically hovering over her—turned toward the new arrivals with a smirk that said he was definitely not about to follow orders. He raised an eyebrow and stepped quickly behind her chair.

The empty seat next to them, pieces of rope lying under it, didn't escape anyone's notice.

Katsumoto had already taken in the rest of the scene in addition to what he'd seen a moment before, and he didn't like it one bit. Even unconscious, Higgins was pale and trembling, and it was clear she'd have toppled over the side if not for having been tied to the seat. The detective could see tears staining her cheeks as well, and the only thing about the situation that made him feel any better at all was the fact that this… dirtbag clearly hadn't gotten very far with her.

"Step away from her, now!" Katsumoto ordered, raising his gun to follow the man's movements. He just needed an opening, but it seemed like this guy knew that and was determined not to give it to him.

"Oh," came the reply, even as the man drew a gun of his own and rested it on Higgins' shoulder, pointing past her to aim at the others. "But you won't shoot me. You might accidentally hit _her."_

He was right, but Katsumoto didn't have any time to process the situation further before there was a rush of movement on either side of him. In a flash, Magnum and T.C. had covered the space in between the door and the chair, and Katsumoto gritted his teeth.

They were idiots—but he was secretly glad because it gave him the exact opportunity he needed.

As the kidnapper turned to point his weapon at the oncoming threat, he inadvertently opened himself up to Katsumoto, who had taken a quick step to the side as he'd processed the events unfolding in front of him.

The shot that rang through the room had Magnum and T.C. pulling up short as Katsumoto lowered his gun.

They each gave him a quick nod of acknowledgment before tucking their own weapons in their waistbands and moving for Higgins.

Katsumoto pulled his phone from his pocket and quickly dialed, barking out his badge number and the situation and requesting multiple ambulances be dispatched to the scene. Then he stepped forward as they cut Higgins free and lowered her to the carpet.

Her pained whimpers broke the breathless silence as the men quickly worked to get her more comfortable. Katsumoto immediately took in the paleness of her skin and pulled off his blazer to try to ward off the shock she was undoubtedly experiencing, quickly covering her summer clothing that was doing nothing to keep her warm—even as he noted with satisfaction that everything was still mostly in place. It seemed they had arrived just in time… he didn't want to think about if they'd gotten there any later.

Glancing up at where Magnum and T.C. were watching Higgins with worry, Katsumoto realized just how anxious they both were. He sighed and tilted his head toward the rest of the house. "Go!" he instructed. "I've got her; go find Rick."

They hesitated just a moment longer, then nodded and reached for their weapons before hurrying for the far doorway.

Katsumoto turned his attention back to Higgins and slowly, gently tried to coax her awake.

When she did blink her eyes open, the tears dried on her cheeks were covered by fresh ones, and the heartbroken sobs set her coughing raggedly against the pain.

The news that Rick was dead hit Katsumoto like a ton of bricks even as he tried to calm her down and keep her from hurting herself even more. He didn't want to believe it, and he tried to convince himself it was just her mind playing tricks on her. The guy who'd held her had obviously used drugs; Katsumoto could only hope that was the explanation for it and that Magnum and T.C. weren't about to come back with their friend's body.

All the detective could do in the meantime was try to comfort Higgins and listen for the wailing of sirens that would signal help had arrived.

* * *

They found Rick in the adjoining room, a tiny bedroom off of the main room where Higgins was.

A metal shelf lay on its side nearby, broken, the few dusty items that had been sitting on it now spread across the floor.

Magnum and T.C. rushed to him, freeing his bound wrists, removing the cloth gag, calling his name. Both could barely breathe as they took in the way Rick's face was bruised and swollen, the way the blood was caked along his hairline and under his split lip. There were noticeable needle marks in his arm like there had been in Higgy's, and his shirt was stained and torn. When T.C. lifted it to inspect how much damage they could see, both friends caught their breath at the mass of bruising that had spread across Rick's torso.

Shaking his head, Magnum turned his attention back to Rick's face. "Hey, Rick. Can you hear me?"

No answer.

"Rick?" he tried again.

"Come on, brother," T.C. chimed in, putting a large hand as gently as he dared on his friend's cheek. "You gotta wake up for us."

Rick's eyelids fluttered, and he shifted ever so slightly.

T.C. glanced at Magnum, then back at Rick. "That's it. Come on. Higgy—"

_"Jules!"_ Rick gasped, trying to sit up quickly but only resulting in a pained gasp as his eyes squeezed back shut.

"Shh, shh, calm down," Magnum quickly instructed, putting a hand on Rick's shoulder. "It's okay. We got you both."

But Rick shook his head, pain etching itself over his expression. "No, no… I gotta help Jules. Morley—" A harsh cough interrupted him.

"Is that who took you? This Morley?" Magnum asked. He didn't like how Rick's cough sounded; it only confirmed the fact that his broken ribs may have done internal damage.

"He was gonna…" Rick trailed off and squeezed his eyes shut, and his friends exchanged yet another worried look as a tear leaked out. "He… he wanted to… I tried to stop him, but I… couldn't protect her." His eyes snapped open, and he searched Magnum's face in a panic. "Is Jules… did he—"

They'd been letting him speak but were quick to jump in at his words, knowing from what they'd seen what Rick must be thinking had happened. It was obvious how much the possibility physically pained Rick.

"No, no. Hey, it's okay," T.C. assured him quickly. "She's okay."

"He didn't touch her," Magnum said firmly. "Not like that."

T.C. nodded and gently patted Rick's shoulder. "Don't worry; we took care of this Morley guy already; he's done hurting people."

Magnum nodded firmly. "You're both going to be okay."

"I need… I need to see her," Rick whispered.

The other two men exchanged glances, then looked back to Rick.

"You're in no shape to go anywhere," Magnum spoke up, giving his friend a stern look. "Katsumoto already called for an ambulance; they'll be here any minute."

But Rick was having none of it. "No," he said, shaking his head. "No, I need to see her." His voice cracked as he put his hands to the floor and tried to push himself up into a sitting position.

"Hey, lie still, bro," T.C. jumped in.

"No, I… I can't. I have to…" Rick trailed off, panting heavily, his breath wheezing in his chest. He shook his head again, getting more agitated. "I have to… have to help Jules…"

There was no need to discuss it; both Magnum and T.C. knew Rick had been drugged, and they knew his frantic struggles to get to Higgy were a combination of that and whatever trauma the two had been through in the past few hours. So they reluctantly sighed and nodded.

"Okay, hang on," Magnum said, moving from where he'd been kneeling next to the other man to crouching in order to help pull him to his feet. "But this is going to hurt."

Rick just clenched his teeth and nodded. He let out a small cry of pain as they helped him up, but he quickly bit down on it and just focused on his feet. With the others' help, he slowly limped through the doorway and over to where Higgins was lying on the carpet near the chairs.

The others saw when he flinched at the sight of the furniture, but he didn't say anything, just turned his attention to Higgy.

Katsumoto raised an eyebrow at the trio, and Magnum just shrugged.

"Hey, Jules," Rick said quietly as his friends helped him down to sit beside her. He winced and paled at the movement, but he didn't halt. "You're—"

Her gasp cut him off, and she shrank away from his outstretched hand. The look of pained confusion on Rick's face had Magnum and T.C. moving for him.

"J… Jules?"

She shook her head frantically and curled inward away from him. "No… no, please leave me alone."

Katsumoto, Magnum, and T.C. all blinked.

Rick looked like a kicked puppy. "Jules, I'm so sorry. I—"

"You… you can't be here," Higgins whispered, fresh tears tracking down her already-stained cheeks. "You can't… Please," she said, her voice tilting upward as she raised her voice. "Please leave me alone. I'm so sorry, Rick… Please go."

Glancing at her worriedly, Katsumoto looked back at the others. "Rick, she needs to rest right now," he said gently, although he shot a firm look at the other two men.

Magnum nodded and reached for Rick's shoulder. "Hey, come on, man. Let's get you lying down before you hurt yourself more."

"But…" Rick didn't finish his sentence.

Putting a hand on their friend's other shoulder, T.C. cleared his throat. "You hear that? The ambulance is here. Come on; just lie back. They're gonna need to check you out."

Dejectedly, Rick let them help him shift a few feet away and lie back onto the carpet. It was as if the life had gone out of him. His eyes were already starting to drift closed, and even his groans as the movements aggravated his injuries—even with Magnum and T.C. going as slowly and gently as they could—weren't enough to keep him from starting to drift off.

Then the paramedics were rushing in, gurneys in tow, and T.C., Katsumoto, and Magnum soon found themselves standing on the outskirts of the room as the two pairs of EMTs set to work. With the hurried announcement of where they'd be taking the patients, they turned and raced back to their vehicles.

* * *

It was just over an hour later when Katsumoto stopped by the hospital and found Magnum and T.C. sitting in the waiting area, with Kumu looking just as worried next to them. The three glanced up at his approach, and their expressions told him all he needed to know about any news on Higgins or Rick.

"We got the rest of the guys," the detective told them, sitting down heavily. "Two of the crew Morley hired to grab Higgins had been helping him in the house, but, as luck would have it, they stepped out for a smoke break just as we rushed in. Uniforms caught them a few blocks away. They rolled on their buddies pretty fast." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

Magnum regarded him across the short space. "Why'd he go after Higgins in the first place?" he asked, voice low and angry.

With another sigh, Katsumoto shook his head. "A lot of the information I found on this Simon Morley was redacted. However, from what I can tell, Higgins was an integral part of an MI6 operation about eight years ago that resulted in his entire network being shut down. He was never caught and apparently relocated to Hawaii at some point."

"Eight years?" Kumu asked.

T.C. lifted an eyebrow. "How'd he find Higgy after all this time?"

"By complete chance, it seems." Katsumoto shook his head. "Remember how Higgins testified last week in the Carter trial? Since she'd worked the case with Magnum?" When the others nodded, he sighed and continued, "Well, it appears Morley just happened to be in the courtroom and recognized her."

Magnum looked like he wanted to punch something. "And they asked her about her job to establish character at the beginning."

"Meaning everyone in that courtroom knew where she lived and worked," T.C. finished, clenching his fists.

"I'm assuming he'd changed his appearance after all this time," Magnum continued, "which would mean she wouldn't have recognized him even if she'd seen him in the crowd."

Katsumoto nodded. "Exactly."

Before the conversation could continue, someone called for the family of Juliet Higgins. All four shot to their feet instantly.

The update was better than they'd hoped. The doctor gave them a gentle smile and commented that Higgins was in remarkably good shape considering what she'd gone through. There were injuries, of course, and it would take some time to flush out the drugs—she'd been given a _lot _for her system to process, but they were working on that—and the unasked question on everyone's mind was quickly allayed with the report that there were no signs of assault beyond what they'd seen when they'd rescued her. She had a concussion, multiple bruises, a couple of cracked ribs, and a fractured wrist, but that was all; Morley hadn't gotten too far with his twisted plan of revenge before help had arrived. Higgins should be able to go home in just a few days.

They couldn't go see her yet; the doctor wanted Higgins to get a decent night's rest, so she'd been sedated and needed to stay quiet without the sounds of her friends' voices to wake her.

That left them no choice but to sink back into their seats and wait for news on Rick. It felt like an eternity after the first doctor had left them before Rick's physician appeared.

The news, while still better than it could have been, was much worse. With a shake of his head, the doctor informed them their friend was extremely lucky. He had internal injuries and several broken ribs from the repeated blunt force trauma, including to his head, not to mention what the stun gun had done. The doctor didn't think anything was life-threatening, but a few of Rick's injuries had come really close; he'd need to be monitored closely for at least a full day before the doctor could say for sure. Then there was the same need as with Higgins to flush the remaining drugs from his system, which would take time. No one could see him for at least a day; after a night of observation, the doctor would know more, but he was cautiously optimistic.

All the four in the waiting room could do now was continue to wait.

* * *

Rick stared at the ceiling, internally groaning in boredom at the way the doctor wouldn't even let him sit up yet. It had only been a little over a day since he'd groggily woken, but he was pretty sure he'd go stir crazy before they let him do anything besides lie on his back.

He couldn't really argue with the logic; after all, when he _had_ tried to sit up—even with help—he'd nearly passed out at the pain in his side, even with the way the meds had dulled the sensation. But just because he understood it didn't mean he had to _like _it. Even with how much sleeping he'd been doing lately, between the drugs and his body healing from everything it had gone through, he was still really bored. He was currently—mostly—wide awake, and there wasn't even anything good on television to distract him at the moment.

Magnum, T.C., and Kumu had been taking turns keeping him company over the past day. Each time Rick had blinked awake, another of his friends were there to reassure him everything was going to be okay—even Katsumoto had been there once. They had all been quiet, trying to keep him still—probably due to doctor's orders, Rick knew; he'd had enough experience with hospitals to know what was going on.

He'd barely been able to make himself ask about Jules when he'd first woken. Thomas had been the one by his bed when his eyes had flickered open, and Rick hadn't even wanted to meet his friend's gaze. The ordeal had been a fuzzy blur in his mind—still was—and he couldn't specifically recall everything Morley had done. But one thing had been horrifically clear: Morley was a vile animal and Jules had been hurt because he'd failed at protecting her.

"Jules?" Rick had whispered, risking a glance at Thomas's face, still studiously avoiding the other man's eyes.

"We got her; she's safe," Thomas had hurriedly assured him, leaning forward to put a hand lightly over Rick's.

A vague flicker of a memory had come to him then, and Rick had swallowed. "You'd said… he didn't…?" He hadn't been able to bring himself to voice the question all the way; he had only been able to hope Thomas would know what he meant.

"Rick." Thomas had leaned forward, his voice soft and serious.

Rick's gaze had darted up to meet his friend's, then he'd looked away just as quickly. Thomas had looked almost sad, and Rick hadn't wanted to try to figure out if it was for him or for Jules.

His friend's grasp had tightened ever so slightly on Rick's hand. "She's okay; I promise. We stopped Morley before he could get very far, and the doctor confirmed he didn't hurt her. Not like that. She's safe."

The relief that had washed through Rick left him feeling weak, and he hadn't been able to do more than let out a gasping breath. Tears had gathered in his eyes—he'd blamed the drugs he knew were coursing through his system.

"You saved her," Thomas had continued quietly. "HPD got the guys who grabbed you both, and we know what happened while you were being held." He'd shaken his head. "Rick, you idiot."

Rick had looked back at Thomas, even as he'd felt the pull of the drugs starting to win out over his weakened state. "You'd have done the same," he'd remarked.

Thomas's soft smile had been the last thing Rick had seen before drifting off.

And now, Rick sighed as he studied the ceiling tiles above him. His friends had left earlier with promises to return soon after the doctor had shooed them all out so the patient could get more rest. So when the knock on his door pulled his attention across the room, Rick wondered if more time had passed than he'd thought if they were back already.

"Come in," he called quietly, hating the way his voice still seemed so weak and raspy.

The figure who appeared in the doorway was the last person Rick had expected to see. His stomach knotted as he watched Kumu help Higgins into the room, the younger woman leaning heavily on her arm. Kumu gave Rick a motherly smile as she guided Higgins over to the chair beside the bed, then she leaned over to pat his hand.

"Glad to see you awake again, Rick," she said gently, then she put a hand on Juliet's shoulder. "I'll give you two some time to talk," she commented as she headed for the door.

Rick watched her go, wanting to call out and ask her to stay. Memories of Jules flinching away from him, shrinking from his touch as she begged him to leave her alone, flooded his mind. The logical part of his brain was telling him it had been the drugs and the exhaustion of the ordeal that had her so distraught, but there had also been another part of him that had worried Morley _had _done something terrible to her.

Even with the assurances of his friends at the time, Rick had still had to wrestle with the nagging fear in the back of his mind that hadn't gone away until he'd woken in the hospital and learned for certain that they'd been rescued before… before Morley had been able to fully put his plan into action.

"Rick."

The sound of his name drew his gaze over to Jules. She was watching him with something akin to grief in her eyes, and he could see her studying his face, her eyes flicking over the evidence of what he'd been through.

"Rick… I'm so sorry," she said quietly.

He blinked. "For what?" Why was she apologizing to him? _She _wasn't the one who'd failed to protect him.

A tear leaked from her left eye, and she sniffed as she swiped it away. "I… I thought you were dead. You…"—she let out a ragged sigh—"I pushed you away, after everything you did for me, but you were _dead. _I heard the… what I thought was a gunshot, and Morley told me his men had…"

Rick tipped his hand out toward her. "But they didn't."

She regarded his open palm for a moment, then reached forward. But instead of just taking his hand, she pushed to her feet with a barely-smothered grunt of pain and then sat on the edge of the hospital bed next to him.

The mattress tilted slightly as she pulled herself up so she was sitting against him, and Rick tilted his head to take in her expression, noting how tired—how exhausted—she looked even then.

She gave him a small smile and put a hand on his arm. "Rick, I'm okay thanks to you."

He couldn't bring himself to respond, and they sat in quiet solidarity even as Rick felt his own eyes growing heavy.

When Kumu came back in to check on them fifteen minutes later, followed closely by a worried Thomas and T.C., both were fast asleep. Higgins had curled up in the small space between Rick's side and the railing of the bed, her head just barely resting on his shoulder and his arm underneath her. Both looked more peaceful than they had since the ambush at Robin's Nest.

Kumu padded over to the bed, reaching for the extra blanket folded over the footboard, then gently laid it over the two sleeping figures. T.C. and Thomas took the couch against the far wall while Kumu took the chair beside the bed, and the three of them settled down to watch over their friends.

They had lost Rick and Higgins for way too long already, but that was over. They were going to have a long road to recovery, both physically and mentally, but Katsumoto had already left the business cards of several trusted therapists the HPD used. Higgins and Rick would be okay.

They were all back together now. And, for now, that was more than enough.

* * *

_Fin._


End file.
